Shayne Looper: Living in a society that has a bad case of the jitters

Shayne Looper

Friday

Jun 24, 2011 at 12:01 AMJun 24, 2011 at 5:23 PM

Have you seen the video of the lion and the little boy? The clip, which has had over 2 million views on YouTube, has appeared on major news outlets around the world. It shows a 400-pound lioness trying to eat a 1-year-old boy at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

Have you seen the video of the lion and the little boy? The clip, which has had over 2 million views on YouTube, has appeared on major news outlets around the world. It shows a 400-pound lioness trying to eat a 1-year-old boy at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

We see the lioness push against the glass shield, trying to reach the baby. Then she opens her gargantuan mouth, bigger than the baby’s head, and turns it from side to side. We can sense what is on her mind: crushed bones and a tasty, salty treat.

When she extends her paws, nearly as big as a man’s face, toward her prey, the little boy extends his hand back toward her, waving “hello.” When she opens her mouth to eat him, he jabbers at her in greeting. The little guy is having fun, and the baby’s parents and other onlookers enjoy the scene. No one is worried.

Why? Because there is a thick glass shield between the lion and her would-be prey. She cannot reach him, however strong her desire. There may be other things the little guy’s parents are worried about — funding his education, protecting him from bullies, making sure he eats nutritious meals — but the lion is not on the list.

Americans are usually good at worrying about the wrong things. Last year Newsweek published an article by Claudia Kalb and E. White titled, “What Should You Really Be Afraid Of?” The authors compiled statistics on a variety of “threats” to our well-being.

The article compared the number of murders in the U.S. to the number of suicides: 14,180 murders to 33,289 suicides. Do the math. A person is more than twice as likely to take his own life than he is to have it taken from him.

According to Kalb and White, there were 115 children abducted by strangers in one calendar year. Compare that to children who drown in pools. There were 288 in 2006.

In 2007, there were 2.2 million burglaries. But there were 8.3 million identity thefts in 2005. Guess who got away with the most money?

The article goes on to compare shark attacks to dog bites. Twenty-eight people were bitten by sharks in 2009. Approximately 4.5 million were bitten by dogs.

We are always on the watch for terrorist attacks (and for good reason). Yet in 2008 there were 33 Americans killed in terrorist attacks around the world. Compare that to the 36,171 who died from the seasonal flu.

We often hear of people who are deathly allergic to peanuts. An estimated 50-100 people die from peanut allergies each year. But contrast that to the number who die by unintentional poisoning: over 27,000 (in 2006).

In 2005, airline accidents led to 321 fatalities. But over a hundred times as many people — 34,017 — died in car crashes in 2008.

The Newsweek article suggests that our perspective on danger is badly skewed. Many of our fears are either unfounded or misplaced. No wonder the ancient apostle counseled: “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” He goes on to explain how we can live confidently in a society that has a bad case of the jitters: “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.”

His solution is unabashedly spiritual, and for that reason many people will overlook it or go in search for an alternative. Others will just go on living in fear.

The Bible uses a kind of shorthand to describe the attitude the apostle recommends, calling it “the fear of the Lord.” It is not fear in the sense of a cringing or paralyzing anxiety, but in the sense of a reverent attention to, and appropriate respect for, God’s plans and desires. The “fear of the Lord” displaces all other fears. It is, paradoxically, the path to fearlessness.

Shayne Looper is the pastor at the Lockwood Community Church in Michigan. He can be reached at salooper@dmcibb.net.

The Daily Reporter

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.